Senior Financial Crime Manager (1st Line)

Senior Financial Crime Operations Manager

Challenger Bank - Hybrid – 3 days in Hampshire, 2 days remote

Are you an experienced financial crime professional looking for a role where your voice will be heard and your expertise will shape how a fast-growing challenger bank operates?

We’re supporting a forward-thinking retail bank that is strengthening its financial crime function and looking for a Senior Financial Crime Operations Manager to play a key role in protecting the business from risk while enabling growth.

The Role

In this role, you’ll take ownership of the first line financial crime operations while working closely with the second line to ensure the bank stays ahead of AML, KYC and transaction monitoring challenges. From overseeing screening processes to leading investigations, you’ll act as the bridge between compliance and the wider business.

You’ll need to bring credibility, resilience, and the confidence to push back when needed. The bank wants someone who can stand tall in discussions with senior stakeholders, balance commercial priorities with risk appetite, and create a culture of compliance across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day financial crime operations, covering AML, KYC, transaction monitoring and customer screening.
• Review and sign off high-risk onboarding cases, ensuring appropriate EDD is applied.
• Run customer refresh cycles and ensure policies and procedures are followed across the bank.
• Work closely with 2nd line and external bodies on investigations when required.
• Produce insightful MI and reporting for senior stakeholders.
• Train, guide and influence staff to embed best practice.
• Act as a trusted advisor and challenger – someone who can hold the line while still enabling the business to deliver for customers.

What We’re Looking For

• Solid experience in financial crime operations within retail banking (essential).
• Strong understanding of AML, KYC, transaction monitoring and wider financial crime risk.
• Proven ability to work across both 1st and 2nd line environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills – confident, persuasive, and able to stand your ground.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to interpret data and make clear recommendations.
• Resilient, adaptable and motivated by working in a fast-paced challenger bank environment.

Why Join?

This is a chance to make a visible impact in a growing challenger bank where your expertise won’t get lost in layers of bureaucracy. You’ll be given the platform to lead, challenge and shape the future of the bank’s financial crime framework while developing your own career in a high-profile role.

Send your CV to [email protected]